Puzzles World Championship 2023: All The Information
The 2023 Puzzles World Championship is a competition for the best chess puzzle experts in the world. The event is part of the 2023 Puzzle Week celebration and happens on January 12 and 13, starting at 9 a.m. PT/18:00 CET. Players rush and battle for their share of the $25,000 prize fund and the title of fastest puzzle-solver in the world.
Broadcast
You can watch all the puzzle-solving action live on Chess.com/TV or on our Twitch channel. You can also catch all our live broadcasts on YouTube.com/ChesscomLive.
Players
Anyone can qualify for the Puzzles World Championship by scoring at least 50 on a five-minute Puzzle Rush and filling out the signup form. Players who make it join elite puzzle solvers who are directly invited to the event.
Format
The event is divided into two phases, the Puzzle Rush Royale and the Puzzle Battle KO.
Day 1: Puzzle Rush Royale
- Qualified players join directly invited players.
- There are five rounds of competition, each lasting 30 minutes.
- Players attempt to get their best three-minute Puzzle Rush score during each round. Any run started before the end of the round counts.
- Every player below 20th place after the first round is eliminated.
- From round two onward, the top two players advance to the Puzzle Battle KO, while the bottom three get eliminated. The remaining players compete in the next round.
- Eight players qualify for the Puzzle Battle KO.
Day 2: Puzzle Battle KO
- Players compete in an eight-player double-elimination bracket.
- Participants play Puzzle Battles.
- Winners bracket matches are best-of-eight.
- Losers bracket matches are best-of-four.
- Grand Finals matches are best-of-eight. If the player coming out of the loser's bracket wins, the second match is a best-of-four.
- If there's a tie, the player with the higher total points across all Battles wins the match.
Schedule
The event is divided into two days, with the Puzzle Rush Royale happening on January 12 and the Puzzle Battle KO on January 13. The competition starts at 9 a.m. PT/18:00 CET on both days.
Prizes
The event features a $25,000 prize fund, distributed as follows:
Day 1: Puzzle Rush Royale ($6,000)
- Eliminated on round 5: $800 (x3)
- Eliminated on round 4: $600 (x3)
- Eliminated on round 3: $400 (x3)
- Eliminated on round 2: $200 (x3)
Day 2: Puzzle Battle KO ($19,000)
- 1st: $5,000
- 2nd: $4,000
- 3rd: $3,000
- 4th: $2,000
- 5th-6th: $1,500
- 7th-8th: $1,000
Play In The Event
Any player can apply to participate in the Puzzles World Championship by submitting a Twitch or YouTube clip showing a five-minute Puzzle Rush score of at least 50. You must achieve this score during Puzzle Week to participate.
If you were able to reach the requirements above and would like to play in the event, fill out the official signup form below:
